Heroes - What if
by TamaraJagellovsk
Summary: What if Jack hadn't had one of those new vests in "Heroes"? Warning: major character death


**Heroes – What if?**

Jack O'Neill was already on the leave, when his CO's voice stopped him.

"Colonel?"

"Yes sir?"

Turning back into the room he rushed out:

"I know, it sounds like an ambush to me, too, but there is nothing else we can do, right?"

"Right. But!"

The colonel stopped in his tracks, literally bouncing with determination to get out as quickly as possible. He looked at the general.

"Make sure you wear those new vests Dr. Lee is working on. Go."

Colonel Jack O'Neill nodded sharply once and ran. When he got to the lab, Dr. Lee was removing one of the vests from a dummy.

"Dr., we need these things. They're going into combat."

"What? But they are way from being ready! There's so much work we'll have to put..."

"Hammond's orders", the colonel cut the doctor short. "How many do we have?"

"Two that are functional."

"Fine. Get me those two. They will have to do."

A few minutes later in the locker room, O'Neill handed the vests to Carter and Daniel. Assuming he had one on already they put them on and moved out, walking past the camera crew in the hallway.

-o0o-

Jack caught a movement in his peripheral vision and reacted. Getting up from behind the rock he had used for cover he turned to face the Jaffa moving between the trees. The next moment he was hit by a staff blast. Sam jumped from her cover, yelling "Sir!" and running to him. He had gone down instantly, crashing hard on his back. She dropped to her knees and opened his BDU jacket to check his injury. _It looked bad. Very bad. Before she could say anything he grabbed her arm._

"_Carter", he breathed._

"_Sir, hang in there. We'll get you back to..."_

"_No. Carter, it's OK. You will have to take care of yourself now. Which you are perfectly capable of."_

_Very softly she touched his face. He moved into her touch just the slightest bit._

"_You just ended that sentence with a preposition, sir", she whispered, smiling through tears. _

"_Yeah, I love you, too, Carter", he smiled. And his eyes closed. _

She didn't even notice the death glider coming in right above her. All she knew was that she had just lost her CO.

-o0o-

When Sam got back to the SGC, dirt and tears still on her face, that annoying little pain-in-the-ass director had the nerve to ask her what had happened. In a very rare flash of temper she told them to leave her alone.

-o0o-

General Hammond rarely came to Sam's office, but she wasn't surprised when he did that day.

"How are you holding up?", he asked.

"I'm OK, sir."

"There is going to be a memorial service on Wednesday. Do you think you are up to saying a few words?"

"Yes, sir", she said with a small nod and in a very low voice.

"Sir?"

Hammond had already been leaving, but now he turned back to her.

"How are you holding up?"

"You try to tell yourself that every man and woman under your command means the same to you. But you can't help it. You get closer to some people."

After the general had left, she swallowed hard.

-o0o-

She sat at her laptop trying to come up with what to say about Jack O'Neill. Tears were flowing freely over her face, and her heart felt like she would never be able to piece it back together. A movement at her door made her look up.

"Hey Daniel...General Hammond asked me to speak at the memorial service...I don't know what to say, nothing seems good enough..."

Daniel simply closed his arms around her.

"He didn't order you to do it, did he?"

Sam shook her head against his chest.

"But I owe him..."

"Shhh...do you really believe you are up to it?"

He held her at arm's length to look into her eyes.

"Seriously?"

She shook her head again.

"No, Daniel. I'm not."

"So let me do it."

He looked at her, waiting, eyebrows raised.

After what felt like an eternity she nodded, bursting into tears again and hiding against his chest.

"It's OK, Sam. He'd understand."

-o0o-

Dr. Daniel Jackson stepped up the ramp.

"I don't have to tell you what a leader Jack O'Neill was. All of you know, maybe better than I do, what it was like to serve under his command. You all know of his courage, and loyalty, and charisma. And yet there was another aspect to Jack. He had the kindest heart, and he was fiercely protective of children and of anyone who couldn't defend themselves. He and I used to disagree on a lot of things. But still I knew, with pristine clarity, that I could trust Jack with my life. He would never leave anyone behind, and he would give his everything to save a friend. That's what Jack O'Neill was to me – the best and closest friend I ever had."

-o0o-

Author's note: I was thinking...if this was an actual episode, I would be spitting mad at the writers for not giving Jack some last words. So I slipped the italic part in. What do you think?


End file.
